absent...

Yes, I am alive...
I have been absent from the world of blogging for some time. I have just bee busy, and frankly having too much fun with my family to blog about it.

We had 2 family reunions at our house this summer, numerous vacations, etc. Now I have been busy with three in school and canning peaches, pears, tomatoes, peach, peach pit, strawberry, raspberry, and nectarine jam, and applesauce. I have also dehydrated numerous batches of apples. Never a dull moment...

A big thanks to Steve Allen for the bin of gala apples. I have almost finished the whole bin with the help of several friends.

Last Thursday, while canning I blew up my stove. Granted it is as old as my home (built in 1963) and I was not sad to see it die, but the replacement is on back order until at least October 30th. What would you do without a stove for about a month and in the midst of canning? I had to farm out the 17 jars off applesauce that I had ready to can and a few days later, start canning on my father-in-law's three burner camping stove. I have already used up the two partially filled tanks of propane...off we go.

I am requesting your prayers for my mom. she and my dad were in a car accident near Bend, Oregon yesterday, and she broke her arm in three places from the elbow up. Thanks in advance.

To all of the Mothers in my life…

"The

noblest calling

            in the world is motherhood.  True motherhood is the most beautiful of all arts, the greatest of all professions.  She who can paint a masterpiece, or who can write a book that will influence millions, deserves the admiration and plaudits of mankind; but she who rears successfully a family of healthy, beautiful sons and daughters, whose immortal souls will exert an influence throughout the ages long after paintings shall have faded, and books and statues shall have decayed or have been destroyed, deserves the highest honor that man can give, and the choicest blessings of God."

                                                          David O. McKay

 

May your dishes all be washed my men today 
and your flowers never wilt. 
May the sweet cards made by children
and the sweeter songs they sing never fade. 
May you feel the love of the Lord this day
and never  doubt His gratitude for all you do for His children –big and small.

Wishing you all a very Happy Mother’s Day! –a day late… sorry I couldn’t be bothered to get on the computer yesterday.

Busy, busy, busy…

Softball season is upon us…

We have three kids playing this year.  Henry is playing his first year of t-ball, Keeley is playing her first year of machine pitch, and Aubrie is in her first year of majors (the girls pitch for themselves).  We have three different practice schedules and three different game schedules.  We average 5-6 games a week.  Life is crazy busy.  On game nights dinner is something fast and easy that we can eat on the run because the games start at 5pm.  By the end of the season I won’t want to see another hot dog, chicken nugget, or PB & J. 

I have spent the last several weeks changing my garden into something different.  I learned about square foot gardening and so I have been un-dirting all of my raised beds and converting them into true SFG.  I just re-planted one bed of strawberries tonight (after the game of course). 

We have two games tomorrow night, mutual, and I spend the morning in class rooms in the kids’ classrooms, so I am hoping to get some garden time in the afternoon during nap time.

I planted my geraniums today.  ( The ones I over-wintered in my crawl space) I only lost one little one this year.  I forgot to take a picture of them mid-winter to show you, but I’ll take one tomorrow of the bare canes.  They look so funny for a few days until they get some leaves.

Fondly remembering those less busy days of only a few days ago… :) Who am I kidding, my days never slow down, my definition of busy just evolves.  ;)

Something to share…

Those of you who know me well, know that I am not one to seek for any attention; I thrive in the background, and often do not open my heart and share my feelings unless I am extremely familiar with those who surround me.

Today I had a couple experiences that I’d like to share, and hopefully it will give you something to think about too.

I went to Wal-Mart with Jesse and Andee today.  I needed to get some apples for a fruit salad for the meal prior to the YW broadcast tomorrow.  As I was driving into the parking lot, there was a thin, scruffy, shriveled husk of a man who appeared to be 60 years old or so.  He was holding a sign that said he needed a job and food among other things.  I tried not to look too closely.  I wondered cynically to myself how much money he could earn a day doing something like that.  As I passed him I had the strong impression that he needed a sandwich, banana, and something to drink. 

Now, being a woman, and a naive one at that, I usually steer clear of men doing things like that.  But, again, I had the feeling that I needed to be the one to give him something – ‘a sandwich, banana, and a drink’, the thought still persisted.

As I made my purchases and took them out to the van I had the very clear thought that I needed to tell the man – as I gave him the food in the Wal-Mart sack, that the Lord loves him and that he asked me to give him this food.  Of course this filled me with dread, but I knew that I had to. 

As I drove up to him, I rolled the window down on the passenger side of the van.  I noticed that he wasn’t sixty years old as my first impression led me to believe, he was more like 25 or so, maybe.  As I pulled over to the side he stepped back and averted his eyes, and seemed astonished to see my window down.  As he stepped cautiously forward I picked up the sack of food and said to him, “the Lord loves you and asked me to give this to you.”  He nodded once and said that he appreciated it.  His eyes seemed to tell a story all their own.

I’m not sure what will ever happen to the young man, but it really made me stop and think.  Do we ever see someone for who they are if we are merely looking at what they appear to be on the outside.  As I drove toward home, I was overcome with the assurance that the Lord really does love him and me too.  We are all His children.  Under all the layers of hurt and sadness of living life, we all are His. 

Jesse asked me, “Why did you give food to that man?”  I told Jesse that he was hungry and Heavenly Father asked me to do it, to which he replied “You are such a nice mommy.” 

Just last night, as I was driving home I was silently thanking Heavenly Father for all of the recent experiences I have had that have helped me increase my understanding of this principle and asked Him to help me increase my ability to have compassion for all of His children and know how I could be of help to those in need. 

On Wednesday, I was talking to Henry’s teacher.  I found out that she just got out of the hospital, and was struggling as she took care of her two foster kids.  I told her that I would be more than happy to do what ever she needed to help her, meals babysitting – whatever she needed.  As I was leaving her classroom, I felt that I needed to touch her on the shoulder and let her know that I was serious, anytime she needed help she could call me.  She called me this morning and asked me if I would be willing to let the kids come over and play for a few hours this Saturday or next.  I told her we would be able to watch them all day so she could rest.  I’m so glad that she called me.

Today’s experiences, again, have confirmed His love for me and is another step in me progression of understanding His perfect love for us.

Thank you for letting me share, I don’t usually babble on and on about my personal experiences of this type, but today I felt compelled to do so.   Maybe it was for you…

Have a good weekend!

WoooHooo!!!!

I know it is just a small thing, really… 

This morning as I was eating breakfast, Andee came up to me and said, “ I poop”.  So I got up and started following her as she ran toward her bedroom so I could change her diaper.  But she didn’t stop there.  She ran straight to the bathroom and asked for her Elmo chair (the toilet insert that is padded and fits inside the rim to make the toilet small  enough for little bums to sit on it).  I quickly stripped off the two layers of her jammies and her wet diaper and she pooped in the toilet!!!! 

Ok, so this is probably a lot more info than most of you’d like to get about bathroom habits of a 1 year old, but I am excited.  She actually knew that she needed to go.  Yippee!  I know that she is young, but if she is starting to be ready –so am I.

Yes, new hair...

Last month I cut my hair.   Here is the before picture.

It was getting long enough that when I sat down it would get stuck behind me.  I've come to realize this is always the point I get to before it begins to bug me.  Then I chop it.  Here is the most recent chop.

I like it, but I am realizing that when you actually have a hair do you can have really bad hair days.  Oh well, I haven't yet lost any sleep over the matter.

What do you think?!

Ah, Young love...

Jesse is in love!  He cannot stop talking about a girl he met at stake conference.

We were singing the rest hymn when he came over and told me he could see the girl he wanted to marry.  He showed her to me.  She was a beautiful young woman who was singing in the combined youth choir. Plum colored dress with a gray sweater over it, sparkly necklace, long, gorgeous blond streaked hair cascading in long curls, long bangs swooping across her face - she looked like she might be 17 or so. He spent most of the meeting gawking at her. 

As we were leaving he kept asking me if we could go find her.  I told her she was leaving with her family.  As we were heading out of the building we came to the open doors of the chapel, and there she was, standing by the doors.  Jesse, made a beeline over to her. So I walked over to her and said " My son saw you singing in the choir and wanted to meet you, would it be ok if he shook your hand. "

She bent down to him and said 'Hi, what is your name?"

"Jesse, I am almost 4," he shyly replied.

She smiled at him and said "My name is Tawny, it is nice to meet you."  She smiled up at me, probably because he was so cute and wouldn't let go of her hand.  So I whispered to her "He told us he wanted to marry you when he gets home from his mission." 

A huge smile spread across her face and she blushed so sweetly and asked, "Did he really say that?"

Jesse answered so innocently, "Yes," with a matching smile on his face.

Tawny said that she was very flattered.  I thanked her for letting him shake her hand and make his day.  She waved to him as we left.

She was so cute and sweet to him.  He is still talking about her.  We have tried to explain to him that by the time he gets home from his mission she will probably be married already, but he will not be dissuaded.

Today as I put him down for his nap, I took him in my arms into a big bear hug and said, "Who do you love?"  to which he replied, "Tawny" with a great big smile.  Silly boy, he usually says 'mama'.

Wish I had a picture of her to show you.

I thought I knew...

You know, there is nothing worse than when I get sick. 

I can handle barfing in the night, sick kids, and husbands, and cleaning carpets, barf buckets, changing sheets and all manner of accidents.  Let's face it over the years I've become a pro at many of these things.  I can usually not even gag when rubbing the back of my barfing child. 

But, when I get sick there is nothing worse.  How do you keep going while not having the energy to do anything?  There's nothing worse than when mom is sick.

This was my opinion until yesterday.  My sister, Heather, called at about 10 am and told me my mom was going to the hospital with a racing heart.  It is definitely worse when grandma is sick. 

After a day full of tests and more tests.  She went home with a 24 hour heart monitor on and a wait and see diagnosis.  She said she felt better today, and that nothing had happened while she has had the monitor on, as of this morning at 8 when I spoke with her. 

A day full of prayers for her was how my day was spent, I can hardly recall much about anything I did.  I was busy, but most of my thoughts were with her.

 

My mom.... I love her and need more time with her.

Fun Hairdo...

Keeley has been letting me do more creative hairstyles on her lately.  Here is one of my favorites.  

Ok, so letting may be interpreted differently by Keeley and myself.  She is mildly tolerating it.  Aubrie won't tolerate me touching her hair for more than helping her blow it dry or putting a small clippy in it.

I can't wait until Andee has more hair to do... : )

Scar...

Our van is home again, finally!  We are so happy to have it home again.  It was nice to have the kids get into it and not yell about their inability to find the seatbelt buckle that someone else may have been sitting on. 

The kids spent most of the time, while driving in the rental van, complaining about how small it was and telling anyone and everyone about how small the van was.

Keeley was very funny.  When we got the van back we were driving down the road and she said "you know, I really did like that van and I'll kind of miss it."

I guess it was funny to me because I have spent the last several weeks, on the way to school in the morning, reminding them that it was nice to have a rental van --that they could walk to school if sitting so close together was so horrible.

Happy Birthday...

JANELL...

I am sure missing you.  I hope that you have a great  day!

a few off my list...

For several months Aubrie has asked me to make her a new scripture bag. Here it is:

I have wanted to organize my pantry better. Here it is:

Matt even said it looked really nice!

I have needed to have a list of my basic food storage. Here it is:

910 lbs wheat

280 lbs flour

40 lbs oats

75 lbs rice

11 lbs pasta

19 lbs shortening

4 gal. veg. oil

30 lbs peanut butter

100 lbs beans

36 lbs dry milk

13 cans evap. milk

11 cans sw. cond. milk

91 lbs honey

125 lbs sugar

58 lbs brown sugar

20 lbs corn syrup

28 lbs

jam

12 lbs fruit drink mix

6 lbs baking powder

17 lbs baking soda

10 lbs yeast

18 lbs salt

1 gal. vinegar

150+ gal. drinking water

25 lbs. mini choc. chips

30 jars of home-canned peaches

25 jars home-canned pears

15 jars home-canned applesauce

15 jars home-canned grape juice

10 qt. jars 10 1/2 gal. home-canned apple juice

10 -#10 cans refried beans

4 -#10 cans pink beans

It is not everything I need, but now I know where to go from here.

These are three things off of my list, YIPEE!

New Year...

...resolutions.

I have been thinking of all of the things that I need to do better in life.  I don't want to have a list of things I forget in February, so, I'm starting late...he he he.

I am terrible at great at starting things and terrible at finishing.  That's one of the reasons that I am still working on my girls bedspreads for the sixth year now, and my kitchen cabinets remain undone. Sigh...

So my resolution this year is to finish everything I have started.  I have a huge list of things, so I better get started!

Any and all encouragement would be welcome, because I know I can do it!

In case you didn't know...

Last known photo of the silver van, taken by Keeley with her new camera on Christmas day.

Got in a crash coming home from Utah on the 27th of December. 

Black ice on the roads that wasn't visible.  We stopped to eat lunch in Mountain Home, Idaho.  About 5 miles outside of town the 4X4 Nissan, Titan in front of us lost control fishtailing from one side to the other.  Matt slowed down, never losing traction, the driver of the Titan slipped off the road on the right hand side rear end first, and as we passed him, he flew out of the pit and slammed into us, our right front tire popped --hissed for about 10 minutes.  His momentum carried us into the median. 

View from the median...

I'm thankful... for brakes, airbags, cushy snow in medians, books on CD - to keep kids occupied for 3 hours of sitting, the van could still produce heat for those hours, nice state patrolmen, nice and honest man who slammed into us - I am serious about that -if he wasn't honest who knows what would be happening with the investigation --no harsh words were exchanged just happiness that we were all ok - he even called the next day to see if we got home ok, just knowing that Matt's brother was nearby if we needed anything, insurance to pay for damages incurred on slick roads, car seats, cheap motels, not so cheap van rentals ($40 a day) up to $640 now :0), nice tow truck drivers - in the three tow trucks it took to pull us out of the median (one even offered to have us stay at his house if we couldn't afford a hotel),  that no one got hurt except for my bruise on one shoulder, 'Stabilitrack' in our van, people who can fix big owies in cars and vans,  and that the other guy's insurance is paying for EVERYTHING!

Tow truck #1 trying to pull us out...

Semi wrecker that had to pull out  tow truck #1 after tow truck#2 couldn't get us both out,  getting us all up and out of the median...

...on the back of the tow truck...

After getting out of the median tow truck #2 went and got 5 cars in front of us that had slid off slowing down to watch, and we, in tow truck #1 backed up about 1/4 mile to get out five more that had slid into the median slowing down to miss the rubber-neckers.  The last one had been clocked by our state patrolman going 70 mph pulling a trailer and was sited with reckless endangerment.  Glad I don't have to pay the fine that goes along with that ticket!

We usually name our cars.  Before this we called the van 'the van' or 'the silver van'.  I know, not very imaginative.  It is like calling your black kitten "blackie".  ;)

We no longer need such a generic name.  Aubrie came up with a name that will be a great reminder.  SCAR will be the name of the silver van now.

Scar --after having been worked on by the tow truck owner so it would be road legal to drive in the daylight hours.

Special thanks to Aubrie and Keeley for the photo documentation. These few were among the over 400 taken in three days.  Thanks girls.

Great site and giveaway!

Look at this great site I found today. Every month they have a giveaway. This month's is great. Visit this site:
http://blog.totallyready.com/?p=252